Bao Youxiang, the leader of the United Wa State Army
(UWSA), last week ordered his forces to withdraw from the Mongla area, which is considered territory of the National
Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA).

One of the UWSA checkpoints in Mongla area

The order was released after a meeting of ethnic
armed organizations (EAOs) in Pangsang, the UWSA headquarters, from 22–24
February.

In late September last
year, the UWSA moved battalions in to take control
of Mongla, including strategic bases belonging to the NDAA such as two
mountain bases, Loi Kiusai and Loi Hsarm Hsoom, and a checkpoint at Parng Mark
Fai. The move was reported to be due to an internal conflict between the two traditional
allies.

One of
the contentious issues that set off the military maneuver appears to be that the Wa rebels asked the NDAA to only allow a low-ranking
official to attend the first round of the 21stCentury Panglong Conference (21CPC),
which began on August 31, 2016. However, Sai Luen, the leader of the NDAA, also
widely known as the Mongla Group, joined the meeting in person.

According to local sources, Bao Youxiang visited
Mongla on March 8 and ordered units to withdraw from the NDAA-control areas.
However, the sources said only one base, Loi Kiusai, was handed over to the
Mongla Group and that Loi Hsarm Hsoom remained under UWSA control at the time
of press.

The sources added that even though the Wa forces
withdrew from Loi Kiusai, they are currently camped at Nam Lam village, not far
from that base.

“Our leader ordered us to withdraw from Loi Kiusai,”
said an UWSA official based in the area. “However, we were not ordered to move
north to Wa headquarters. Therefore, we only moved to Nam Lam where our
division is based.”

The NDAA has traditionally
maintained close relations with the Wa army, which is considered the largest
ethnic militia force in Burma with a troop strength estimated at 20,000.

Based in eastern Shan State’s
Mongla Township (officially known as Shan State Special Region 4), the NDAA has
around 3,000 soldiers, according to data from the Myanmar Peace Monitor.